Monsters
by Bishoppe
Summary: He was a monster fused with another monster, Shadow realized as his eyes narrowed in a look of deep disgust. He glanced down at what used to be his arms, now replaced with gleaming metal. Shadow x Amy.
1. Rebirth

**MONSTERS**

Summary: He was a monster fused with another monster, Shadow realized as his eyes narrowed in a look of deep disgust. He glanced down at what used to be his arms, now replaced with gleaming metal. Shadow x Amy.

Rated M for subject matter. Heavy violence. Sex. Angst. The works.

Genre: Romance/Drama laced with dark humor.

Shadow x Amy

Hey everybody! This idea's been buggin' me all week and I couldn't wait to get it down. It's ultimately a ShadAmy story, though I haven't worked out all the kinks yet.

As with all of my stories, this is going to be very darkly themed, much darker than the original Sonic universe. Please turn back now if you're the fluffy, pink-handcuff type.

Onwards?

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><p><em>Ruined.<em>

_Utterly disgraced._

Hands covered the aging face of the notorious self-proclaimed genius known as Doctor Ivo Robotnik as he sat in his revolving chair, his mind numb with thought. He rolled the ends of his moustache contemplatively between his large fingers, trying to think of yet another way to finally defeat the pest that was Sonic The Hedgehog, after being defeated yet again. He narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses as the clever doctor stood up to stare outside the window of his Eggcraft, with his hands behind his back as he stared off into the clouds. He needed a new tactic.

"Sonic must be dealt with," said the doctor to no one in particular, staring into the open Earth before him. It was a simple enough statement, yet it was far easier said than done. He thought about the blue pest and about the years wasted away on trying to catch him, trying to conquer him, and the many plans he had discarded in order to rid himself of the obstacle that was Sonic The Hedgehog. It seemed absurd to others why Eggman even tried to destroy Sonic; he had lost many times before. But they didn't know the doctor.

Eggman smiled to himself. He was brilliant. He was a genius. He was unstoppable. All he needed was one last plan, one last heist, to set his goal into motion. All he needed was a last piece to the puzzle... just one little thing that would give him the edge over Sonic...

Turning around swiftly, Eggman looked across his office. He pushed his glasses up against his nose as he inspected his room, looking at the countless papers that scattered a lone corner where his wastebasket had been overflown with crumpled-up pieces of paper: all of the plans he had thought up of today. He frowned. So much precious time wasted on this hedgehog! After all of these years, it was a wonder how he hadn't exploded yet from the frustration! After all, when one really thought about it, all that stopped him from achieving world domination was a blasted hedgehog! If only he could get his hands on him without him wriggling out of his grasp with that speed of his...

Eggman looked across the room to the other end, where a large, ten-foot-tall tube stood. He only kept his most powerful of robots in there, his most prized and most valuable. He placed the tube in his office so that he would always have it available should the need arise, or in case of emergency. Eggman strided across the room in his usual arrogant manner, locking eyes with the tube in the meanwhile.

He stood before the stucture, gazing into the contents within. Metallic blue shone through the glass of the tube, with the creature within plunged into a deep slumber.

Metal Sonic.

It had almost killed him, but he had managed to capture the pest. Despite the doubts of his assistant robots, he was able to successfully install an Obedience core within the robotic monster, thus neutralizing Metal Sonic's desire for rebellion. The core glowed a deep red dimly beneath the robot's yellow, cave-like torso, signaling that it was working properly. It was unusual - pathetic even - to see the once-unstoppable robot reduced to such a compliant state. Eggman almost felt sorry for the creature, but it did not stop him from the intense feeling of satisfaction he gained when he saw the crimson lights that were Metal's eyes fade out into a pitch black.

However, this was hardly a victory. This only gave him a slight boost; something that might help him along the way, a mere cub amidst a sea of lions that was the Sonic crew. The sheer power of Metal Sonic could rival that of Sonic's, yet he could not possibly defeat the entire team, not even with the significant help of Eggman's ingenious robots. Eggman narrowed his eyes. He needed something more... he needed a combined effort. He needed more than just Metal Sonic; he was almost completely useless without an upgrade.

_'Or...'_ Eggman thought as an idea flashed through his brilliant mind_,' he could__**be**__the upgrade.'_

It was a far-fetched idea, but it just might work, Eggman mused. He wondered what parts of Metal Sonic he could fuse with his other robots...

_'No,'_ Eggman concluded to himself, _'Metal Sonic's way too advanced to be compatible with my other robots. I'll need a live base.'_

It was true. Metal

Sonic's data was far too complex to be riddled with the simplicity of Eggman's other creations, however brilliant and ingenious they may be. He would either need a machine that could match Metal Sonic in power or a living specimen that he could fuse Metal with. Eggman fidgeted slightly with his hands, rubbing his mustache in deep contemplation. Perhaps he could use Tails? That annoying little fox's significant intelligence would nicely compliment the raw power of Metal Sonic, not to mention it would be rather amusing to see the look on that Sonic's face when he realizes he would have to fight his best friend...

But the boy was far too young. His frail body would not be able to withstand the stress of having his limbs replaced, and would likely shut down. He needed someone who was far stronger, and preferably older. Knuckles would be a good choice, but the gullible, hot-headed young echidna is far too much brawn and not quite enough brain, Eggman realized as he frowned, staring at the captured, sleeping Metal Sonic, trying to think of a good base to use. As he stared, he caught the sight of the colors of the control panel beside him.

Black and red.

Realization dawned upon him as he realized who might just be the perfect candidate.

Perfect, thought Eggman as he smirked to himself. Simply perfect.

Now all he needed was a plan... and some bait.

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><p>Waterfalls of red, orange and yellow cascaded around him as he stepped atop a red leaf that had been floating around in front of him for some time. He did not know why, but he liked the crunching sound it made. It was pleasant and satisfying to his ears, much like the piano music that the humans of the world sometimes played on their radios and sound devices. It was one of the few things he could stand in this city, despite having lived here for almost a year now. He felt no more of a friend to this city than he did a year ago, and even less an acquaintance, and it was not because of the way they treated him, even with the occasional jeer or pointing finger.<p>

No, it was the way these people lived. He saw how these people were so enamoured by what was going on in their own lives instead of the world around him and saw how many people cared more about having things than seeing and doing things. If he, Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, was so mesmerized by their world, then why couldn't they be?

He walked forth, watching the busy city folk walk around, so stuck in their own little world of drama and endless, pitiful worries and laments. They were not humans, Shadow reasoned with himself, but rather lifeless husks, just waiting for their next fix of false happiness. Happiness to these humans, Shadow realized, was not about sharing ideas and music and spending time with the one you loved. Happiness to them was using each other to raise oneself on the social ladder, always trying to one-up each other with worthless accomplishments and meaningless stunts. Happiness, to these humans was realizing that you are not being talked about behind your back and that people take you into their crowd of mindless sheep, always following each other around blindly. Well, Shadow was constantly talked about, and it was little more than an annoyance to him. He was glad he was not human, lest he lose sleep over such a tragedy such as being talked about.

He frowned slightly as he pushed past a group of giggling girls. These humans ruined his rather mellow, content mood with their incessant chatter and inappropriate giggling. He clenched his hand tightly, feeling a soft piece of fabric between his fingers. It was a doll that had been given to him that very day by a little girl that he had been playing with quite often during his volunteer hours at a small daycare home. Indeed, he volunteered. It was a shock to him why he even bothered to meddle with the spawn of these humans, yet he figured there could be worse things in life. There must be some way to redeem himself for his past crimes. He could not say he fully hated it, and it was all because of Lilika.

Lilika had been the one to give him the doll as a gift that very day. She was a small little girl of eight, with blue eyes and bouncing blonde hair that shone in the sun whenever she ran around the playground, smiling and laughing in her bubbly way. Other children avoided him, and one even burst out crying at the sight of him, but not Lilika. The moment he walked into the daycare, she took hold of his hand, gave him a big smile, and told him he had pretty eyes. He looked forward to coming to spend time with her every day, listening to her stories and learning all about who her favorite aunties and uncles were, and why she preferred pineapple upside-down cake over chocolate. Such small details seemed tedious to other people, yet were fascinating to him. He had told her he never had pineapple upside down cake, and she promised him that they would make some one day.

Shadow continued walking, crossing the street to get to one of the rougher parts of the city, his eyes sketching through the roughly-built apartments, looking for his home. He lived in an abandoned apartment not too far from the main centre of the city, and he particularly enjoyed it because it provided the peace and comfort that he needed. Others looked and scoffed at this part of town, yet it was his home. The only place he would ever call home more was at Maria's side. Shadow spotted the apartment number he lived in, and braced his ears for the sounds of creaking stairs and the pitter-patter of spiders and cockroaches as he shuffled in through the broken door.

He heard the floor boards creak under the pressure of his feet as Shadow walked across the dank main hallway past the broken elevator. He slowly made his way up the stairs, seeing the numerous holes in the walls and the broken ceiling up above him, allowing glimpses of light to peak through into the unattended building. No one ever lived here, and that's the way he liked it.

As he turned a narrow corner, he saw drapes and broken timber carelessly thrown about, with a barely-functioning roof and a small lantern hanging up by a piece of rope taped to the crumbling ceiling. The room was half-open to the outside world yet half-closed, and it provided Shadow the pleasure of a good view of the city as well as a measure of privacy, which he sorely needed in this world. He saw a small mattress in the corner with a small chest laying beside it. He rarely used the mattress, instead opting to sleep facing the stars. Any average human would call his home drab and dull and ugly and torn apart. He called it beautiful.

Shadow walked towards the chest beside the bed, where he bent down to unlock it with one hand, using his fingers to twist the simple lock. He opened the chest to reveal several useless, yet priceless, items. Slowly, he lifted up Lilika's doll, placing the creation in the safety of his chest. He had few possessions and gifts, but he treasured them with every inch of his being. Other things that he had in that chest were some photos of the ARK, a few pieces of jewelry from Rouge, and a scarf from Amy.

Shadow looked at the scarf briefly. That Rose girl had given it to him only weeks before, stating that he was going to freeze his rear end off if he did not wear it. The scarf was a simple, solid color, and it was his favorite one: Dark red. It was a simple gesture from her, yet it meant the world to the black hedgehog, even if he did not show it. He merely grumbled a sound of thanks as she gave it to him, and even then, she simply smiled at him and told him that she hoped it would keep him warm. He picked up the scarf gently in his hand, rubbing the soft, well-sewn fabric between his fingers as he raised it lightly to smell it, intoxicated by the scent. It still smelled faintly of cinnamon and strawberry. It was a pleasant smell...

"Shadow..." a voice whispered suddenly, as Shadow's blood froze. That voice...

He slowly turned around, feeling the wind blow against his face as he saw a familiar, small figure standing in his makeshift doorway. Blonde wisps of hair decorated the small, rosy-cheeked face before him as Shadow's eyes widened.

Lilika stood before him, with a frightened expression on her face as she stared up at him, her blue eyes gazing imploringly into his red ones. He stared back at her questioningly, standing up slowly as he walked towards her.

"Lilika...?" Shadow asked cautiously, as he watched her bottom lip quiver with fear. Her eyes glazed over, brimming with tears as she choked back a sob. Suddenly, she took off into a sprint, running back down the stairs in a frightened hurry. Shadow frowned concernedly as he hurried down to the staircase, where he quickly descended. He heard her footsteps fading and he sped up, trying not to run too fast lest he miss her. He reached the bottom of the stairs, where he briefly caught the sight of her long blonde hair turning a corner in an abandoned alleyway through a large hole in the wall of the apartment.

"Come back!" Shadow called after her as he ran after the young girl, running through the hole. He paused momentarily, looking all around him in the dark alleyway.

She was gone.

Shadow looked around him, scoping for the young girl, his thoughts buzzing with confusion. Where did she run off? No - why did she feel the need to run? Was she hurt? Did she run away from home?

Shadow turned around quickly, trying to locate the young girl. He felt a small grain of anxiety for her as he squinted, listening quitly to the eerie sounds of the dark alleyway, trying to hear any sounds that might help him lead to her. A loud 'crack' was heard as he swiftly turned around, only to be met with the sight of a blinding light shining in his face. He closed his eyes, backing away from the source, and before he knew it, he felt something massive collide with his stomach. The pain sunk into his senses as he was thrown backwards, feeling his head hit against the pavement painfully.

"Target, captured," he heard a robotic voice say as he felt his consciousness slip away, relinquishing its hold on his mind.

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><p>Shadow's body trembled in discomfort as he winced in his slumber. He felt a cold feeling of uncertainity and alienation around him... a feeling that his body did not recognize as he stirred from his sleep. His limbs felt as if they had been disorganized, as if his head was on his chest and his arms sprouted from the top of his torso. His eyelids felt far heavier than before as he struggled to crack his eyes open, mind hazy with what seemed to be a mixture of pain and numbness; a contradiction of feelings. He mumbled something incoherent, lifting his leg as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but as soon as he set down his leg, a clinking sound was heard. That was when he jolted awake.<p>

Shadow gasped for air as reality hit him square, all at once. The box of black he had only just been in was suddenly spilled into with colour from the edges. Dark, metallic colors that he could recognize only too well sunk into his senses. As he caught his breath, Shadow gathered his bearings and looked around, instantly recognizing where he was from the familiar face stamped across the walls of this establishment. Shadow furrowed his brows, unimpressed.

"Awake so soon, Shadow?" the voice belonging to said familiar face called out, echoing across the room. Shadow frowned harder, and out of the corner of his eye, the egg-shaped figure appeared from the darkness. Doctor Eggman entered, wearing his signature smirk as he stood before the caged Shadow. The hedgehog bared his teeth animalistically as he launched himself towards the doctor, eager to rip him apart. Even as he tried, however, he felt himself restrained by the chains that hooked his body to the wall. Eggman chuckled.

"Nice try, Shadow, but you might want to keep your power at bay, because I'm the only one who can control it!" Eggman said with a satisfied smile, taking out a small remote control with only two buttons on it. He pressed one and immediately, Shadow felt his shoulders slump against his will. He felt almost sedated, as if relaxation forced itself upon his body, and his mind buzzed with confusion, feeling the separation of his body from his mind settling in. His head lolled slightly to the side as dizziness overtook him. That's when he noticed the glint of metal where his legs should have been.

His heart quickened.

His legs were not his own.

His _body_ was not his own.

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><p>I'm wondering if anybody thought up of this idea yet... please let me know if it's good enough to continue or if I should just let it rot, ahah.<p> 


	2. Reckoning

**MONSTERS**

Summary: He was a monster fused with another monster, Shadow realized as his eyes narrowed in a look of deep disgust. He glanced down at what used to be his arms, now replaced with gleaming metal. Shadow x Amy.

Rated M for subject matter. Heavy violence. Sex. Angst. The works.

Genre: Romance/Drama laced with dark humor.

Shadow x Amy

Finally got off my lazy ass and continued writing this (; Thanks for your reviews, guys! I have changed the title of this story due to the kind advice of a reviewer (:

Enjoy!

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><p>"You likely know full well why you are here, Shadow," Dr. Robotnik said lowly as he peered out the large window, his back facing the hedgehog, "So I feel no need to explain it to you. With your immense raw power, upgraded with Metal Sonic's, you've become a force that exponentially outnumbers Sonic and his group put together."<p>

At the mention of Sonic's name, Shadow felt an unfamiliar stirring in his blood, a strange and peculiar urge for something, but he didn't know what. He said nothing, instead opting to glare up at the doctor.

"You would do well to thank me, beast."

Again, Shadow said nothing. Eggman turned around swiftly, facing the chained hedgehog. Slowly, he began to walk towards the hedgehog with his hands behind his back, reveling in the hedgehog's helplessness. It wasn't everyday that you see the Ultimate Life Form reduced to such a pathetic state – it made Eggman giddy.

"I have made you into a God – a God of my own, and not just that, but the best kind. A God that can be controlled."

"The power that is within you is enough to wipe Station Square off the face of the earth within hours. All of that power is in my hands," Eggman taunted as he held up the little remote control. Shadow glared weakly. His entire body was burning hot and cold – his insides in confusion as it struggled to reject the unwelcome additions to his body.

"No matter what you do – I have control over it. That Obedience core within you sends electric impulses that halts any rebellious action against me with a press of this button," Eggman said, gesturing to a button with the tiny word "HALT" written across it on his remote control. Shadow looked down on himself, and noticed that in the center of his body, a yellow, circular core had been plated into his body - the Obedience core. Shadow narrowed his eyes. It looked all too familiar.

As his eyes continued to look over himself, blue and black contrasted against each other on his altered body. Gone were the white gloves and sleek black fur on his arms, and instead, dark blue metal limbs cascaded and separated at the end into five pinprick-sharp claws. He gripped his fist tightly. No warmth. No friction. No feeling of blood rushing through veins. _Nothing._

Anger bubbled in Shadow as he realized who he had become. He shot Eggman a hateful stare.

"Damn you," spat Shadow, finding no other suitable words. Truly, what does one say when they've been fused with parts of a copy of your biggest rival?

Eggman only smiled at him callously before continuing.

"But wait – there's more," he said gleefully as he watched Shadow listening with a resentful resignation. This is what victory tastes like.

"The Obedience core is not enough. It halts rebellious action, but it does not prompt you to kill as I need you to. I have placed a little something else in there that will… let's say, give you a little boost in wanting to kill. You might be feeling a little hungry and dizzy at first – but the blood thirst will kick in soon enough," Eggman smiled as he paused, waiting. Shadow stared at him in disbelief.

Suddenly, a moment later, Shadow doubled over in agony. He gasped, feeling his eyes glaze over as an unfamiliar feeling took place in his heart. The pain was excruciating – as though his insides were imploding – but underneath it all, Shadow felt an alien hunger, a shameful desire, budding in his heart. The urge he had felt earlier was buzzing violently, and Shadow shut his eyes, trying to shut out the unwelcome images of violence that suddenly began to flood his mind.

"Feel that, hedgehog? Doesn't feel too good, does it? That is what I like to call the Killcore, and it is the impulse for all of your bloody desires. You'll find that it kicks in every now and then, giving you a little… persuasion if you're not willing to do my bidding. Is that clear, Shadow?"

Shadow felt the blood thirst boiling through his veins, and his hands itched to kill something. Suddenly, unwelcome images of people he resented ran through his mind and his primal nature began to bloom rapidly. He saw images of people he hated and resented – G.U.N, Eggman, Sonic – all slaughtered by his hands, and he felt a sick satisfaction from imagining the violence. What was he becoming? He shook violently, trying not to succumb to this beastly nature. His mind buzzed with contradictory questions and exclamations – alternating between murderous thoughts and pained confusion.

'_What… what is this…' _Shadow managed to think.

He heard a button click, and his muscles relaxed. Shadow stopped his violent spasming and felt the blood thirst wane slightly, as he cracked open his eyes to see Eggman smirking at him slightly.

"Did you feel that? Felt like killing, didn't you?" Eggman said with a rising tone of glee in his voice. He was becoming happier and happier by the second! Sonic will never know what hit him! Shadow growled lowly.

"Sonic'll still win," the hedgehog muttered under his breath, amazed at his own words. When did he suddenly become so supportive of the Faker? Or perhaps he was just trying to convince himself that Eggman won't win. If it were between Eggman and Sonic, Shadow would rather Sonic won, even though it would be grudgingly so.

"Let me make this clear to you, Shadow. I have absolute power over you. Unlike the Obedience core, the Killcore is planted completely inside of you. Should you… get out of hand, I simply press this button, and the Killcore inside of you will explode, completely destroying all or most of your vital organs. You are smart enough a hedgehog to figure out what would happen if I did that, I hope," Eggman explained, gesturing towards the fatal button below the Halt button, his finger hovering over it dangerously.

Shadow felt his senses come back, and anger bubbled inside of him once more – but it wasn't the Killcore acting up, it was his own natural anger. He growled angrily as he lashed out, kicking himself out against the wall, trying to throw himself against Eggman. His chains broke free, no match for his immense strength, as Shadow landed on the floor, remnants of chains wrapped around his hands. His metal arms gleamed viciously, complimenting the hate riddled on the hedgehog's face. He was going to kill this man.

Eggman rolled his eyes, pressing the Halt button on his remote. Shadow's muscles gave out once again as weakness took over him, and he collapsed on the floor.

''Aren't you forgetting something, Shadow?" Eggman said, unimpressed. Shadow looked up weakly, feeling ashamed to be in such a weak position. He felt humiliated – he was never in such a powerless position before, he mused as he glared up at Eggman in disgust. Eggman leaned forward slightly. The remote control was just within Shadow's reach, but he was too weak to snatch it.

"You are mine, Shadow. Completely and totally. You will do my every bidding and every command. You will kill Sonic and finally get rid of those pests that keep me from victory. You will become my slave, my servant, my assassin. You will become a force so great and so powerful, that everyone shall fear and respect me. They shall learn to know that Doctor Robotnik is the most fearsome and most ingenious man in the world, and they will bow down to show it!" Eggman's voice quivered with excitement with every word he breathed. He had a sick smile of satisfaction on his face as his eyes widened with anticipation. Shadow would not admit it, but he felt a twinge of disturbance from the look in Eggman's eyes. It was madness. Pure and unadulterated insanity; the eyes of a scientist whose experiments have driven him to the brink of madness.

"I have done the unthinkable. Scholars' pens will quiver when they write about me in the history books – they will remember the time when Dr. Robotnik defeated Sonic – and triumphed," Eggman continued, smiling down at Shadow with an air of superiority. He could only glare back in vain. Eggman regained his compsure and turned away from Shadow once again, speaking in a tyrannical voice.

"Tonight, Shadow the Hedgehog, you will reign terror over Station Square. Your commands are as follows: we now head to the artillery, where you can get a taste of your own true power. For the remainder of the time until seven o'clock, you will be placed in the preservation tube right over there to recharge your strength," Eggman pointed to an empty tube in the room, where Metal Sonic used to be. Shadow stared at the tube, a feeling of déjà vu mixed with claustrophobia settling over him. He hated that tube. He never wanted to go back in there.

"Now then, get up and follow me. You soon shall see, Shadow, the extent of the power I have given you," Eggman stated nonchalantly. Shadow simply snarled at him as he lifted himself off the floor reluctantly, feeling his muscles ache at every movement. His limbs felt heavy and unnatural at his sides, like an excruciatingly heavy weight. Shadow bit his lip as he dragged himself up, shivering as the pain jolted at the points where his skin met metal. He followed Eggman reluctantly, trying to figure out a way he could get away from this fool.

No doubt, there were some errors in Eggman's plan (as usual) that he could take advantage of. He couldn't simply tackle Eggman, that much he was sure of, yet he couldn't lay down and follow Eggman's every whim either. Perhaps there was a way he could get that remote, or render it useless. Ideas and possibilities swam through Shadow's head as Eggman lead him through the long winding metal hallways through to the artillery; a large circular room with bombards lining the walls. In the center of the room, there was a metal platform, as well as a closed door on the opposite side of the room. Shadow presumed that that was where the test robots were stored. The two stood at the edge of the room, dead silence lingering in the air.

Eggman cleared his throat," Test Subject Sigma, enter the artillery."

At that moment, the door at the opposite end of the room opened, where a rather small, helpless-looking robot was kicked out of, into the artillery. He shook nervously as he looked up at Shadow meekly, barely reaching him in height. The robot had a timid appearance and lacked weapons. Shadow almost felt pity for the contraption, watching as it trembled before the upgraded hedgehog in fear. Eggman nodded to Shadow.

"Let's see what you've got, hedgehog," Eggman encouraged. Shadow turned his head defiantly, clearly refusing to follow the man's orders.

"...simply imagine what would happen if this robot were Sonic..." Eggman whispered tauntingly. At the mention of Sonic's name, Shadow's blood began to boil, and the familiar buzzing inside of him roared. Shadow growled venomously, feeling his claws itching to satisfy the ache inside of him. The robot's image suddenly became akin to Sonic's; silver metal turned to blue fur, and the frightened expression turned to that cocky grin he ever so hated. He needed to wipe that cocky grin off of that blue Faker's face. Shadow launched himself at the robot viciously with a roar, his claws latching themselves onto the robot.

'Faker, you'll smirk at me for the last time,' he heard himself seethe angrily, without control.

At impact, the claws broke through the thick metal as Shadow plunged his arm deep into the robot's center. With great animosity, Shadow gripped at the robot's insides, then yanked out the inner core. The robot fell to its knees, the light in its eyes dying as static electricity sparked in the air. Even as it fell, Shadow still continued to tear it apart savagely, breaking down the robot until it became an unrecognizable puddle of metal and black and blue wires. It all happened so quickly, Shadow could not keep up with his surroundings. Everything seemed to be a whirlwind, a painting colored in only one color: red. He saw nothing but red. Sonic was the one intruder, the one unwelcome blue interruption, to his perfect red environment. He _needed_ to get rid of him.

Eggman watched the entire ordeal, speaking as Shadow continued to tear apart the pathetic robot.

"You've seen nothing yet, Shadow. As you kill, your hunger grows. Come forth, Egg Shredders!"

The silver doors opened once more, and four titan-sized, monstrous contraptions marched out, circling Shadow threateningly. They stood over seven feet tall and resembled a mutated car. Their sharp shredders clicked dangerously at Shadow. He looked around him, feeling the violent desire in him bubble up at the sight of his enemies. Four Sonics stood around him, all mocking him with their stupid arrogant grins. Shadow only smirked to himself. He was going to paint the walls with those grins. He saw the Sonics all dash towards him at breakneck speed, but Shadow was far too quick.

He evaded the four Sonics, dashing to the top of the ceiling as he brew a fatal Chaos Spear in his claws. He launched it at the furthest Sonic, who was staring at him in awe. It shot through him like a lightning bolt, and he flew backwards against the wall, breaking his spine with a sickening crunch. Shadow appeared at the bottom of the artillery behind a second Sonic, who was too stunned by Shadow's speed to react. Brutally, Shadow kicked the backside of the second Sonic, who doubled over in pain as tears sprung from his eyes. A third Sonic came up behind Shadow, hoping to catch him unaware, but Shadow's claw shot behind him, gripping the third Sonic's neck. Shadow picked up the third Sonic and collided him head-first into the second, watching with great satisfaction as the two Sonics coughed up blood, laying on the floor in a crumpled agony. A "Yo, Shadow!" was heard behind the dark hedgehog as he turned around swiftly to face the fourth and last Sonic, who was walking towards him amicably. Shadow's breath hitched with anticipation.

_'That's right, Faker, come a little closer...'_

"What the heck do you think you're doing, man? You can't just go around making a mess like that! What's gotten into yo-"

He was cut off by Shadow plunging his claw into the blue hedgehog's chest. Sonic was stunned for a moment, unable to comprehend anything, until his eyes trailed down at the arm that was now thrust into the blue hero's chest. His emerald eyes filled with betrayal and shock as his eyes travelled back up to meet Shadow's, begging him for an explanation. Crimson liquid dribbled down Sonic's chin.

'Sha...Shad... why.. why'd you..." Sonic choked in vain as he fell to the floor, blood seeping from his fatal wound. Shadow stood over his body, feeling rejuvenated as the red haze slowly began to clear up. The image of Sonic dissipated, and the torn Egg Shredder took its place, lying on the floor as static electricity sparks flew about in a frenzy.

Shadow felt an immense gratification, similar to how one felt drinking cool, clear water after days of not drinking. He heaved, trying to catch his breath as he held the massive engine of the Shredder in his claws, feeling the red haze of his bloodthirst begin to clear up. He slumped against the floor, feeling sweat trickle down his forehead. He opened his eyes, peering down at the engine. He gasped as the image of Sonic's heart replaced the engine, and he dropped it in shock. It clattered onto the floor loudly. Shadow stared at the engine as he regained his breath, unable to believe what had just transpired. He felt... monstrous.

The room was silent for a long while, accompanied only by Shadow's occasional shuddering breath. He stared wide-eyed at the fallen, titanic Shredders around him. It was not that he was able to kill them all that amazed him - it was the speed and animosity that stunned - and even intimidated - Shadow. After what seemed like eternity, Eggman finally spoke.

"Do you know why you want to kill Sonic so much when your Killcore's acting up, Shadow? Do you know why you see and hear Sonic instead of your actual enemies?" Eggman asked as he leaned against the doorframe. Shadow said nothing, his deep breathing echoing throughout the artillery. Eggman smiled at his lack of answer; he knew that this point, he already won.

''It's because deep inside, you really want to. You don't consciously recognize it, but you do want to kill Sonic. Such hate is buried deep into your sub-conscious, where not even the most brilliant of psychologists could reach. He's your rival, your cheap copy. This Killcore inside of you doesn't create the hate; it merely activates it," Eggman stated as he smirked down at the hedgehog, who clenched his fist tightly, feeling the metallic fingers scrape against his inner palm in anger. It couldn't be true. Sonic was not his friend, yes, but he felt little more than a rival's contempt for the hedgehog. Surely he didn't hate him so much that he wanted to kill him in such a vicious manner...

Then again, while aboard the ARK, Shadow didn't think he was a violent creature, either, being that he became accustomed to Maria's pacifist ways. Yet her undeserved killing was the fuel for Shadow's hate for humans, and it continued to burn and burn.

Eggman noticed his torn expression and breathed in deeply, sensing victory in the air. He has successfully overwhelmed the world's most dangerous creature, and lives to tell the tale. Hell, he'll do more than tell the tale, Eggman thought with a smirk, he'll be the main character of the tale.

"Let's go now, Shadow. We'll need to have you charged up for the attack tonight. We can't keep the citizens waiting, can we?"

"I refuse."

Eggman narrowed his eyes. Defiance. One more obstacle standing in between him and victory. He will not have it, not after everything has been going so well.

"Well then, I hope you haven't forgotten about your little friend that I invited along aboard the Egg Craft," said Eggman suggestively. Shadow's eyes shot to Eggman murderously. His Killcore began to buzz. As if on impulse, the doctor pressed 'Halt', and Shadow's muscles gave out once again, squeezing out his last bit of strength.

"That's right, beast. Your little blond friend is at the tips of my fingers. Don't wish to obey me? Very well, but I hope you realize that she is quite homesick. It would be quite fair to... let her go, after all," chuckled Eggman.

"I'll rip you to shreds," seethed Shadow, baring his teeth hatefully.

"Will you really, Shadow?" Eggman inquired, his smirk widening.

Shadow paused, knowing full well that he was at a dead-end. There was no way around this. He hung his head, sighing deeply.

"...No."

"Wonderful," Eggman said in satisfaction.

Even with this new plan, Eggman still followed his pattern plan routine of using bait, Shadow realized bitterly. He needed to know where Lilika was, and if she was safe or not. Once he found a way to escape, he knew he had to go look for her and get her to safety. Eggman beckoned to the hedgehog.

"Come now. As with all machines, you need to recharge in order to ensure maximum performance."

_Machine._

That was what he was now. Little more than weapon, little less than a living entity. He was a monster fused with another monster, Shadow realized as his eyes narrowed in a look of deep disgust. He glanced down at what used to be his arms, now replaced with gleaming metal. He clenched his fists tightly, hoping his claws would puncture his own palm and he would feel some semblance of a living being's pain. None came.

As he stood up defeatedly, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the metal walls of the artillery, and stiffened.

He stared straight into the monstrous eyes of Metal Sonic.

* * *

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